Orchard Talk

National Pie Championship: Best of Show in the Professional division

Linda Hundt, owner of the Sweetie-licious Pie Pantry in DeWitt, Michigan

Crust:

• 1 ½ cups of flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ cup Crisco shortening

Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer on medium speed swiftly until crust appears “pea like.”   Carefully sprinkle ice cold water in crust mix until it just starts to be fully moistened and gathers together.  Pat into disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least one half hour.  Roll out on floured surface and make and crimp piecrust.  Freeze until ready to use.

Filling:

• 4 ½ cups Montmorency tart cherries –frozen*
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp real almond extract
• 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• ½  tsp orange zest
• ½ cup dried Michigan cherries
• 1 ½ cups of frozen blueberries

Combine frozen cherries, dried cherries, sugar, cornstarch.  Stir constantly on med-hi heat until boiling.  Boil for one minute or until thickened. Add almond extract, lemon juice and zest.  Pour blueberries in bottom of pie shell and pour cherry mixture over them.

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 stick butter softened

Mix together all crumb topping ingredients by hand or a pastry blender until crumbly.

Cover filling with crumb topping.  Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour or until filling is bubbling over crust.

*Note:  We ship IQF (individually quick frozen) tart cherries during the winter months. Please call 1-877-937-5464 if you’d like information. If you can’t get the frozen cherries, canned tart cherries packed in water make an excellent and affordable substitute.

This tart cherry muffin recipe comes courtesy of the Cherry Marketing Institute and Linda Hundt, Owner of the Sweetie Pie Pantry in Dewitt, Michigan and winner of the 2009 National Pie Championship, Best in Show for her Tom’s Cherry Cherry Berry Pie. According to Linda, “Tart cherries are the most versatile fruit to use, and products made with tart cherries are best sellers. These muffins are the most popular ones in our shop.”  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Key lime juice
2 cups frozen (IQF) tart cherries (Canned tart cherries would work for this recipe, too)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Glaze:
3 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons Key lime juice
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
In large mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup granulated sugar and butter. Add eggs; beat 1 minute. Slowly add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture; add lime juice. Beat on low speed until smooth.
Toss cherries 1/4 cup granulated sugar. By hand, stir cherries into muffin batter.
Grease muffin tins or line with baking cups. Fill each muffin cup three-fourths full with batter.
For regular-size muffins, bake in a preheated 375 degree conventional oven 15-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
For jumbo-size muffins, bake in a preheated 375 degree conventional oven 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

If desired, drizzle with glaze before serving. To make glaze, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Add lime juice and confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined. Drizzle over cooled muffins.

Tags: canned cherries, cherry muffin, cherry recipes, frozen tart cherries, tart cherries

This is a refreshing, light dessert. If you’re in the area, you can pick up pitted, frozen tart cherries at our fruitstands. We also ship frozen tart cherries during the colder months, usually beginning in November.

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons artificially sweetened dry ice tea mix
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups frozen tart cherries

Directions:
Combine dry tea mix with water and lemon juice, stirring until completely dissolved. Place half of tea mixture in blender container or food processor. Add half of frozen cherries. Process until almost smooth. Repeat with remaining tea and cherries.

Serve immediately. Freeze any remaining sorbet. When ready to serve frozen sorbet, place pieces of sorbet in blender or food processor; process to soften.

Makes about 3 cups

Nutrition Info:
Nutrition Facts per serving: 31 cal., 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 7 g carbo., 0 mg chol., 1 g pro., 1 g fiber, 16 mg sodium. Daily RDA values: 8% vit. A, 6% vit. C, 2% calcium, 2% iron.

Recipe Courtesy of the Cherry Marketing Institute

Tags: cherry recipes, frozen tart cherries

“Spys for pies!” says Nan, the pie baking champion of Central Lake. She should know, as she has been cooking apple pies for the swiss steak dinners at the Methodist Church every third Saturday of the month for years and years. Up here, people know their pies and endurance and competence are synonymous when it comes to baking. This famous 200 year old variety has been considered by some experts to be the best apple ever produced in the United States. If you like an old fashioned apple, bite into one to find out why our ancestors went to so much trouble growing fruit.

Northern Spy is a heritage apple variety. Heritage apples, sometimes called heirloom or antique apples, are the old varieties that have stood the test of time. Each variety represented here has been in cultivation for at least 75 years, and represent the best of the old-time apples our grandparents and great-grandparents knew and loved. McIntosh, Jonathon and Northern Spy have consistently ranked at the top of the list of most popular varieties in Michigan for over 100 years, and are still going strong today.

Modern apples are often bigger, more uniform in shape and more highly colored than the heirloom varieties. Traditional varieties were prized for their flavor, not their looks. What Northern Spy may lack in appearance it more than makes up for in flavor.

One fall, Betsy saw our local photographer rummaging around in the cooler and asked him what he was looking for in there. When he said he was trying to find a good looking Spy, she replied that there was no such thing. He kept searching anyway, and the result proves that besides being the best cooking apple, and a tangy, juicy eating apple, the Spy can even on occasion be a “looker”.

Tags: buy northern spy, northern spy, pie apples, spy apples

Ingredients:

Dough:
• 1 pound, plus 2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces butter, cubed
• 2 ½ ounces pork fat
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• Cold water
  
  Apples:
• 4 Honeycrisp apples
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cider
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• ¼ cup caramel (recipe follows)
• 2 pinches of corn starch or arrow root
  
  Streusel:
• 4 ounces butter, chilled and cubed
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of cinnamon

  Smokey Roasted Apple Puree:

• 4 apples, such as Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Mutsu, or Fiji
• 1 cup cider
• ½ cup caramel
• 1 ounce butter
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 2 ounces raw bacon

  Ice Cream Base:

• 25 egg yolks
• 14 ounces sugar
• 1 quart cream
• 1 quart milk

  Caramel:
  24 ounces sugar

• 7 ounces corn syrup or glucose
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 1 quart cream

Method:

For the Dough:
In a KitchenAid with a paddle attachment, work the flour, butter, pork fat, sugar, and salt until the butter is the size of tiny peas. Add the egg and about ¼ cup water, and work until the dough comes together. Form into a ball and refrigerate for 2-24 hours.

For the Apples:
Peel apples and cut them into ¼-inch cubes. Place apples in a large bowl and toss with all the other ingredients. Set aside.

For the Streusel:
Combine all of the ingredients in a Cuisinart and work until the mixture “crumbles.” Chill the mixture.

For the Smokey Roasted Apple Puree:
Quarter the apples. Toss with the rest of the ingredients and roast at 350°F until the apples are broken down and caramelized. Remove the bacon and discard. Puree remaining mixture in a Cuisinart until smooth.

For the Ice Cream Base:
Mix the yolks and sugar completely. Bring the cream and the milk to a boil; pour it over the yolks and mix completely. Put the mixture back on the stove, mixing constantly, until the custard is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Place in an ice bath and allow to cool. Once cooled, add the apple puree to taste. Freeze and process in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For the Caramel:
In a heavy pot, combine half of the sugar with the corn syrup, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is dark amber in color.
Add the remaining sugar, ¼ cup at a time. Mix well after each addition. In another pot, heat the cream just until it comes to a boil. Slowly add the cream to the caramel, and let the mixture reduce after each addition.

To Assemble and Serve:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Trim and fit the dough into a pie tin or tart mold. Fill the Honeycrisp apple cubes to the top of the pie shell; pour some of the juice from the bottom of the bowl on top of the apples. Cover with the streusel. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and the liquid is bubbling.

Serve with smoky roasted apple ice cream and caramel sauce.

Yield: 6 Servings

recipe courtesy of
Chef Mindy Segal of HOTCHOCOLATE – Chicago, IL
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Tags: honeycrisp apple pie, honeycrisp apple recipe, honeycrisp apples

2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup sour milk (add 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to fresh milk)
1 teaspoon soda
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped Honeycrisp apples
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix together all ingredients. Divide batter between 2 greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees (at times I have to bake the loaves for 10 or 15 minutes more until they feel set when tapped).  Note: Batter will be stiff.

This Honeycrisp Apple Bread recipe courtesy Thunder Bay Grille

Tags: honey crisp apples, honeycrisp apple bread, honeycrisp apple recipes

Winning Recipe 2009 Michigan Apples Pie Contest: Caramel Apple Pie

Tags: caramel apple pie, michigan apples, pie recipes, Recipes

This quick sandwich can be made with a Panini press or George Foreman grill. Equally delicious if you choose to omit the turkey.

Ingredients:

Preheat the panini press or grill. Spread the honey mustard evenly over each slice of bread. Layer apple slices, cheese and turkey over 4 slices of the bread. Top each with the remaining bread slices.

Lightly coat the press or grill with vegetable cooking spray. Grill each sandwich for approx. 3 to 5 minutes or until bread is golden brown and cheese has melted. Remove from pan and cut in half.

Serve with a green salad for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner. Makes 4 servings.

In Susan Selasky’s Detroit Free Press article, she wrote, “Some people wouldn’t dream of cooking with Honeycrisp apples because they are best eaten out of hand. But for this recipe I wanted to capture those sweet Honeycrisp juices to add moisture and flavor to the stuffing and sweetness to the cream sauce.”

The only thing I would try differently with this recipe is to substitute dried cherries for the optional golden raisins. Dried cherries are an excellent complement to both pork and stuffing, and impart much more flavor than raisins. As John likes to say, “they make ordinary stuffing an event!”

Stuffing
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 2 cups dried bread cubes (or small croutons)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup diced apple
• 1/4 cup golden raisins (or dried cherries), optional
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage leaves or 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

Pork
• 4 bone-in pork chops (at least 1-inch-thick), about 2 pounds trimmed of fat
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 large apple (such as Honeycrisp), peeled, diced
• 1/2 cup fat-free or regular half-and-half mixed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make the stuffing: In a large skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and add the bread cubes, salt and pepper, apple, raisins if using, and sage.
Lightly moisten with the broth, mix thoroughly and set aside.
To prepare the pork: Cut a 2-inch-wide slit in the side of the chop opposite the bone, cutting almost but not all the way through, making a pocket. Evenly divide the stuffing mixture and stuff it in each chop. Do not overstuff the chops or the stuffing will fall out. You may have some left over that you can serve on the side. You can secure the pocket closed with toothpicks if needed.
Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Carefully turn and brown on the other side. Transfer pork chops (set skillet aside) to a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake about 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 155 degrees. Remove from oven and keep covered.
In the same skillet the chops were browned in, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pecans and saute 2 minutes. Add the diced apple and saute until it caramelizes. Reduce the heat slightly and slowly whisk in the half-and-half and maple syrup.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the sauce with some of the diced apples and pecans over each pork chop and serve.

Per serving: 398 calories (57 percent from fat ), 25 g fat (6 g saturated fat ), 25 g carbohydrates , 19 g protein , 396 mg sodium , 61 mg cholesterol ,3 g fiber.

recipe courtesy of Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press.

Are you wondering what apple holds up best in pie, or which apples to choose for fresh snacks or chunked up in salad?

We’ve created a handy Apple Variety Guide with some characteristics and suggested uses for the many apples we grow here at King Orchards.  The apples are listed in the approximate order in which they are harvested. You can also download a pdf version of our apple variety guide to print and save at home.

Ginger Gold – early September
Oh, do we love this early-ripening apple. A sweet, firm Golden Delicious-type variety, everyone loves this new gourmet apple.

Paula Red  – early September
A beautiful variety that originated right here in Michigan. The best early season snacking apple, perfect for back-to-school lunches.

Jersey Mac – late August
A good choice for McIntosh lovers who are getting impatient for the Macs to ripen; another good choice for school lunches.

Gala  – mid-September
Another high quality gourmet dessert apple with an outstanding flavor. It is a great eating apple and cooks well, too.

McIntosh – mid to late September
Our favorite traditional apple. Excellent for eating fresh, in pies, salads, and sauce, you can’t go wrong with McIntosh.

Jonagold - late September
A unique combination of Jonathon tartness and Golden Delicious sweetness, juicy and crunchy, great for fresh eating and cooking.

Cortland – late September
A surprisingly good eating, tangy old fashioned apple, Cortland is also famous for cooking and baking. Cortlands are resistant to browning, which makes them especially good for salads. We have many customers who love them for applesauce too. Leave the skins on while cooking, then run the apples through the food mill or ricer, and your sauce will turn a naturally pretty shade of pink.

Honeycrisp – late September
Honeycrisp apples are considered by many to be the greatest fresh eating apple of all time. It is very crisp and has a sweetness that really is reminiscent of honey.  We’ve heard our Honeycrisp apples referred to as, “the best thing to ever grow on a tree!”

Empire – late September
This a great kid’s apple. It juicy and crunchy and not too big (perfect for small hands).

Mutsu – early October
Also known as Crispin, this is the apple we recommend for those who want “hard and tart”.   Mutsu apples are also some of our best keepers.

Golden Delicious – early October
Thin-skinned, crisp, firm, juicy flesh, with a unique aroma and flavor. When cooking it allows you to use less sugar in recipes.

Northern Spy – early October
“Spies for pies!” This famous 200 year old variety has been considered by some experts to be the best apple ever produced in the United States. One of the best cooking apples, Spy is a tangy, juicy fresh eating apple, too.

Ida Red – mid October
Hard and tart, big and red; that describes this apple. It is an exceptional variety for it’s keeping quality and wonderful for cooking.

If you need help selecting the right apple for yourself, or to ship as a gift to send a friend or loved one, don’t hesitate to drop us a line, or call us toll-free at 1-877-937-5464.

pples

Tags: apple varieties, choosing apples, cooking with apples, cortland apples, crispin apples, gala apples, ginger gold apples, golden delicious, honeycrisp apples, ida red apples, jonagold apples, mcintosh apples, michigan apples, mutsu apples, northern spy apples, pie apples, sanza apples